Meet Kuroko
by Ku lassa
Summary: "They used to stop crimes and help people!" Satsuki Momoi never knew what she was in for when she moved to Teiko. She never imagined meeting the legends, nor would she have seen herself getting tangled up in their messy web of mayhem. What does their past have to do with the strange occurrence in Tokyo? Why did the Miracles stop hindering crimes? And most of all, who is Kuroko?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

He's doing it again – shadowing that alleged criminal when he knew that he shouldn't. But really, he promised himself that he'd get to the bottom of this. And he's not doing it for himself; he's doing it for _them_. Because even if he strongly believes that someone like him could no longer be of any importance to any of them, they are his friends. And he will _not _let them get hurt.

...X...

Winter that year came quick; already, Momoi could feel the cold tang of the winter breeze. She wrapped her coat around her like a cocoon then glanced at the bullet train station platform. It was practically empty, save for her mother and an old couple sitting by the vending machine. She would've found it peaceful, if she weren't feeling so alone.

Momoi was expecting her friends to come see her off, but it was one in the morning, and it was chilly. She shouldn't blame them for bailing, should they fail to arrive. The keychain they gave her as a farewell gift was more than enough. If anything, she should be thanking them for giving her such wonderful memories to hold on to.

"It's almost time, Satsuki-chan," her mother, a fair woman in her late-thirties, said, glancing at he wristwatch. Momoi's heart dropped, and she found herself fumbling with her keychain – a small, silver frame with a picture of her friends. She opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, she heard a sound that she had been looking forward to. Someone from across the platform had cried out "Satsuki!" and she immediately knew who it was.

Whirling around, eyes gleaming in expectation, the girl caught sight of Ayane Saito – clumsy and hasty as she always has been. She was staggering towards Momoi, pink hat nearly unseated. Behind her, Hana Nakamori smiled, giving Momoi a silent greeting.

Suddenly lively, she made her way towards the two. "Whoa there, Ayane-chan! Breath!" Then, Momoi turned to Hana. "I'm surprised you guys managed to make it!"

"Of course." Hana wiped her glasses with her scarf then sighed. "We don't know when we'll be seeing you again. It's only right for us to see you off."

"But you'll be going to Teiko, Satsuki," Ayane piped in. "Although it pains us to see you leave, we're happy for you."

Teiko High was a school that every parent wanted to enroll their kids in. It was elite and adored by all of Japan – the Oxford of the continent. Known for its discipline and excelling students, people's expectations for Teiko were very high. They are also known for being the best of the best – winning every kind of competition that stood their way; their motto: "A hundred battles, a hundred victories," was carved into their very soul. However, for someone that's attending such a privileged school, Momoi was the very opposite of glad.

"It's here," Ayane whimpered, staring at the sudden flash of light from inside the tunnel. At that moment, the rickety tracks of the train became heard. It grew louder and louder as it pedaled forward, stopping just beside the platform's edge. When the doors opened, Momoi's face grew dull.

She didn't want to leave.

She wanted to stay with Ayane and Hana and all of her friends.

Slowly, she turned around and looked at the two. "Don't forget to send messages."

"You too," Hana whispered, giving a sad smile.

Suddenly, Ayane's eyes glassed over. She had to blink to keep tears from falling. Nonetheless, the dam broke when Momoi came to hug her. "I'll visit, you guys."

"Yeah, you'd better," Ayane teased shakily through the tears. "But call us in case you can't come. Teiko is really something. You might be too busy to find time."

"I will."

It only took a few seconds for the doors to close after Momoi got in. Then, just like that, it zoomed forward – way too fast for her to even see her two friends' expressions as it left.

Now, "What the hell is going on," you ask? Well, it all started about two months ago. Momoi's father had lost his job, and let me tell you, those were among her most miserable days. Her father, after months of being unemployed, with no lead nor luck for a new job, had to change their lifestyle. Her mother decided to sell most of their furniture and find a cheaper alternative for all their meals. Ramen became miso soup. Pork cutlets became seaweed.

Fortunately, her father – a skilled businessman – managed to start something in Osaka. Their sales grew, and before she knew it she was slurping ramen again. Her life eventually fell back into place. And although her father had to live away from them to continue his job, she was happy. Afterall, Satsuki Momoi was the adored class representative. Top of her class, gorgeous muse and on the board of every important school club, there was no one in her small private school that didn't know who she was. Besides these, she had Ayane and Hana – the best of friends that she could ever ask for.

Those days, her spirits have been high. Those were the weeks that everything seemed to be going right. She didn't think that anything could ruin the steady pace. But then _it _had to happen.

Her mother had called her down, her smile making her look somewhat like a light bulb wearing an apron. Then she said in a way that Momoi could only describe as maniac, "Satsuki-chan! Congratulations!"

"Huh?"

"Your grades are very good, and we are so proud of you!"

"I know…"

"And you've got an offer!"

"Offer?"

"From Teiko High!"

"Teiko High?!"

"You've been granted a scholarship!"

"Scholarship?" Her face fell. Now, don't get me wrong; the girl was pleased to be getting an offer from such a wonderful school. Yet you've heard about her absolutely fantastic school life. There's no way she could leave all that behind! _No!_ Not even for a big-name school like Teiko High! "M-mom, I can't. It's in Osaka. It'll take me three hours to get there."

"Oh that's easily solved, dearie. We're moving to Osaka, actually. We can finally live with your father again!"

Momoi's blood ran cold. "B-but I like my school school here," she tried. Her mother gave her a disapproving look then stated, "Honey, it's _Teiko High_. Their basketball team is superb!"

"That's because their players are monsters. And I don't even play basketball."

"You'll be surrounded by such shining students! Their influences will rub in on you within a week!"

"I like my friends here."

"Universities will be fighting over anyone who graduates from Teiko. They'll be fighting over _you_!"

"But–"

_"__Honey," _her mother said, her voice dripping with venom, _"think about it."_

And thus, her fate was sealed. Bollocks.

A few days later, a red car was speeding down a street in Osaka. Within it, Momoi sat, bored eyes gazing blankly at the things their car zoomed past.

"Come on, Satsuki! It's your first day in a new school! Put on a smile!" Her dad, a lavishly-dressed man, cried from the driver's seat. She did as she was told, feeling bad for being so pessimistic. If anything, she should be thrilled to be going to Teiko. Only kids with brilliant academic records had a chance of being considered, and the school rarely offered scholarships.

_How ungrateful, _she thought to herself. _Why are you being like this?_

Her trail of thoughts has been cut off when the car came to an abrupt stop. She barely had to wonder what was going on because her dad had rolled down his window then poked his head out – whistling at the magnificent building that stood before them.

"Look at that," he said, "it's beautiful."

Teiko High was, indeed, beautiful – even Momoi had to bitterly admit; a brick wall of snow-kissed vines and a classy, gleaming gate plated in marble, the very scenery from outside was enough to leave her with childlike wonder.

After scuttling off the car and bidding her father goodbye, she slowly made her way towards the school. She barely had time to appreciate the surroundings once inside, however, because at that moment, a boy had walked before her, blocking her field of vision.

"Well hello there! You must be Momoi-san! I've been expecting you," he said, black hair swishing as he tilted his head to the side. She hadn't expected the greeting, much more for the guy to actually know her name. Because of this, Momoi was left slack jawed. Before she could ask the boy questions, however, he introduced himself. "My name is Shuzo Nijimura – an alumni of Teiko. And I've been requested to show you around before taking you to class."

"Satsuki," the girl stated, extending a hand. "My name is Satsuki Momoi, though you clearly already know that." Nijimura took her hand and squeezed it, giving her his silent salutations.

Then, he led her towards the rather spacious school grounds.

_What finesse, _she thought as she wordlessly followed Nijimura past the snow-frosted garden patch._ Transferees are actually greeted and toured before going to class._

Momoi had to grudgingly admit that she was beginning to like Teiko. It was big, and it seemed promising. She could see herself living a good life here without throwing away her friendship with Hana and Ayane.

They walked the halls even during the morning class hour, and she was thoroughly impressed by the students' display of discipline and determination. The tiles and corridors were all waxed and spotless; the entire building itself was completely trash-free. Eventually, however, the tour was becoming tiring. The school had a huge population, so the corridors' stretches were very long and wide. Already, Nijimura had shown her several school facilities, and she knew that there was more to come.

However, as they passed the trophy hall, exhaustion died down because the displays were so stunning – she felt like she had stepped into a completely different world. The walls were lined up with an abundance of mahogany shelves, protected by glass that glistened next to the large windows, which allowed the warm rays of sunlight to stream in.

"Momoi-san, are you familiar with the school's motto?"

She nodded curtly while staring in awe at the countless trophies that surrounded the hall. The trophies, she noticed, was a range of different fortes – arts, academics, sports; under the sports category, something caught her eye: a glass case that stood out from the rest, partly because it had the most number of trophies, and partly because it was the most well-maintained.

"_'__A hundred matches, a hundred victories,'_ am I right?" she smiled, glancing at Nijimura.

"Yes, you are correct," the boy smiled back, before making his way towards the prominent glass case. It contained several awards from the basketball club alone. Now just like the rest of the country – maybe even the world – Momoi is aware of the Teiko basketball club's winning streak. However, it was still a different thing to actually see such a large display of championship trophies. What she knew about the sport, she learned from becoming the manager of her old school's basketball club for a month after their real manager got sick; and she knew how difficult it was to get just one championship trophy. She knew how big of a deal the Inter High and Winter Cup is in Japanese basketball.

Teiko had about a hundred of each. And for that, she was seriously thrilled – and terrified. Suddenly, she could feel the pressure of the school's motto weighing heavily on her shoulders. She is now a Teiko student; she must bear the weight of that motto. She cannot fail. She must always, _always _win.

"Momoi-san, are you okay?" Nijimura asked, noticing how pale the peach-haired girl has become. She glanced at him then nodded. "I'm just…amazed. Teiko's basketball club is so strong."

Maybe Momoi was too distracted at that time, because even her sharp gaze failed to notice the sad look that pooled over Nijimura's face as he gently brushed his fingers against the glass. "Yes, they are," he whispered. "I was once a part of this club. I wish I could've stayed a little longer."

There was a moment of silence as Momoi allowed the thought to settle. Then, she suddenly backed away from him, looking utterly star-struck.

"O-oh my gosh!" she gasped, her face reddening. Then she bowed. "It's an honor!"

"No! No!" Nijimura cried, looking a bit embarrassed. "I'm nothing compared to my teammates – my kohai!"

_Still, _Momoi thought, brain convulsing, _I've been walking around with a star this whole time! Oh my gosh, I need to tell Ayane and Hana-chan! I should take a picture with him! Could he maybe be one of the 'Generation of Wonders' one of my basketball-fanatic classmates keep talking about? _

Suddenly, the school bell rang, and Nijimura winced. Nothing could ever prepare Momoi for the frenzy of hollers and screams – the students all leaving their classrooms, displaying a very unTeiko-ish scenario as they screeched, pulled at each other's hair, clawed at each other's faces and jumped on each other's backs – all of them whirlpooling into the cafeteria while screaming very vulgar and disturbing things that children their age must _never_ think, much more say.

Their teachers all looked like they were about to cry as the sea of Teiko students flooded them at all sides, making them look like drowning cats. It was a downright horrifying scene – like a calamity at its peak.

Divine Teiko! Great Teiko! Elite Teiko! What happened to all that? Where's the peace? The harmony? The discipline? Where're the excelling students? Where are the absolutely positive things that this school was known for? All Momoi could see is a blue and white tsunami of catastrophe!

"Momoi-san," Nijimura said, mustering the most realistic smile he could fake, "welcome to Teiko High!"

* * *

I realized a few weeks ago that my whole life was a lie when I found out that Kuroko's surname was, indeed, Kuroko – and that it wasn't Tetsuya. Then I realized that this also applied to the rest of the Generation of Miracles, players, and characters in general. I was seriously considering using 'Satsuki' instead of 'Momoi' when referring to Momoi in the narration because her friends are addressed by their first names. But then that would mean having to use every other character's first name too. (Daiki, Seijuuro, Teppei, Ryouta, Yukio, etc, I ask you: Could you get used to that?)

Aherm* Anyway, I hope that this story is…well…okay. It's my second fanfiction, so hopefully, it doesn't completely stray away from the rules (unspoken ones included). Oh, and I hope that you guys forgive me for the title. Never was good at making one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Thanks so much, allenfan, Pea Brain Writer, Allenchan, ass-sassin, Guest, and all those beautiful readers who dared to favorite and follow this story! You guys are the best! I hope that you all find a yummy cookie.

Oh, and to answer some of your questions, the pairing for this story _might_ be general. I'm still thinking about how to properly develop the characters (with no luck so far). So...for now, just let your imaginations run wild!

* * *

"It's nice to meet you! My name is Satsuki Momoi. Please take care of me!"

The introduction was just right – Momoi knew. She had injected the right amount of affability in her tone, and in a regular high school, she would've given people a very good impression.

However, let us backtrack for a while, stop, and take note of the facts: Momoi is in Teiko, and Teiko is a lot of things – a mess being one of them. In fact, halfway through lunch period and already, the clinic was half-full of bleating students. The thing that terrified her was the reaction of the nurses; they were not the slightest bit fazed as students came in stretchers, whining about internal bleeding, fractures and concussion.

Momoi's first lunch period in Teiko was a downright disaster. She had to find shelter in the gap between a vending machine and the wall because Nijimura went missing amidst the strong current of students. She never even got to eat, for goodness sake! Students were far too violent in the cafeteria – she didn't want to end up dying in there. All she got from the vending machine was an energy drink because that was all it had. Clearly, whoever made the accursed machine never considered the needs of frail, peaceful girls such as Momoi.

The end of lunch period wasn't any better. Although students have dispersed from the halls, she knew that she'd be seeing more of them – namely, in the classroom.

After the teacher called her over, her entrance wasn't awkward, nor was it pleasing. Students just didn't seem to care about their new classmate. That is, until the teacher clapped his hand, grabbing their attention.

"Okay, everyone! This is our new student!" he turned to Momoi, forcing a pained smile. "Please introduce yourself." _And try not to enrage your new classmates. I have a family, I can't afford to lose my job. If you die, I'm guaranteed to lose it!_

Thus, the introduction.

There were a few moments of silence as students scrutinized her, deciding which category she belonged in. Then... "Her chest looks so fake."

"So does her butt."

"I heard that she comes from a no-name high school."

"Seriously? Do you think that she could keep up with our education system?"

The criticism droned on, and Momoi's eyes bore into the marble floor – hoping that if she stared hard enough, a giant hole would eat her up and transport her into the underworld, where she would have to spend the rest of her miserable life serving Hitler. But unfortunately, that never happened. The teacher cleared his throat, stopping the students' mutterings, before turning to the girl. "Your chair is the one at the back." He pointed at a lonely-looking desk at the classroom's corner, just beside the bookshelf. As she made her way to her place, she was slightly taken-aback. Apparently, she wasn't alone. There, sitting beside her was a boy.

Momoi couldn't make out his face because it was buried beneath his burly arms as he slept, but she could see that he was strongly built. She distinctly wondered if the class hated him too.

Seeing it as an opportunity to make one friend, she scooted towards him. "Hey. So is this class mean to you too?"

She waited for ten agonizing seconds before he finally drawled his head back from his arms to glare at her. His glare, however, immediately vanished when his eyes glazed over to her breasts then back to her face. This made Momoi flinch. "Nah, not really." Then, just like that, he allowed his head to collapse into his arms and continue his slumber.

Scooting away from him, with her chest facing the other side, Momoi decided that she didn't like this guy.

She decided not to get too involved with him. If she did, she might end up tangling herself into an even bigger mess. Dealing with Teiko High's ungrateful little brats was enough.

…X…

Murasakibara was having a good day.

His favorite chips were on sale that morning so now he had about an entire week's supply. Besides this, they didn't have basketball training that afternoon after pummeling their previous opponents with a hundred-point difference. He was free to devour all his snacks with no responsibilities to worry about.

So clearly, he was happy. That is, until he saw a flash of red.

"_Atsushi, you are coming with me."_

…X…

For the first time in her life, Momoi was alone. This reality only came crashing down on her when she stepped into the hallway after class. Everyone had their own cliques. They walked around in bundles, chatting about some teacher's mole, or some no-name schoolgirl. For the first time in her life, she had no friends! She was no longer popular enough to become a muse, or class representative, or on the board for every important school club. In Teiko, she was no one. She wasn't important. She could barely even snag a friend – _no, _not even that perverted loser sitting beside her.

This knowledge made her feel lost. What was she supposed to do now? _Not _attend any club? _Not_ run for a position in the student council? She isn't used to being one of the crowd.

Satsuki Momoi is used to standing out!

Her father had texted her that day, telling her to stay in school for a few hours after school because they were cleaning up the new house, and she found herself making her way to the school's rooftop. It was probably the first time she'll be doing it. She was always going to places with her friends and socializing.

When she got up there, she was initially intimidating. It was so high up! However, it was still refreshing to be away from the rest of the student body.

Here, she could breath.

She was alone. She could be herself.

"What are you doing here?"

"WHAAAA!" Momoi nearly fell off the rooftop due to the shock of a foreign voice. Then, after regaining her balance, she looked back at its source. It was the boy from her class, looking at her with an alarmed face; he clearly thought that she was going to fall off, and for a moment, Momoi wished that she did.

"Woman, what is wrong with you?"

"Hey, I'm not the one who shocks people into nearly falling off railings!" The boy rolled his eyes, obviously not enjoying this. Then he looked at her, his eyes suddenly serious. "Are you stalking me?"

If Momoi was drinking something, she would've choked on it. She gave the boy a skeptical look before hissing, _"Why would I stalk a perverted ganguro like you?"_

"Well this perverted ganguro happens to be very handsome," the boy replied, smirking, as he averted his attention to the magazine he's been flipping through. Then, he said, "Also, my name is Daiki Aomine. Does the name ring a bell to you?"

Strangely, it did. Momoi just couldn't remember where she had heard it.

"Hey, you never answered my question before. What are you doing here?"

"To breathe," she replied curtly. Aomine was still looking through his magazine when he asked, "Trying to get away from the rest of the student body?"

Momoi merely nodded. She expected Aomine to say more, but when she looked at him, he's been completely absorbed by his magazine. To be perfectly honest, Momoi did enjoy his presence. He was unlike any of the friends she's had before, but he was the first to speak to her in this new school. If she didn't want to stay lonely for the rest of her school life, she knew that she needed to step up. So, step up she did.

"Aomine-kun, are you happy with the class?"

"Huh? Oh." Aomine was busy reading the features section of the magazine when Momoi spoke to him. Fortunately, his head was hurting from looking at texts and images all day. For once, he was willing to give someone a time of his day. He sluggishly placed the magazine beside him then looked at Momoi, a bored expression on his face. "I'm not really happy nor am I thrilled. You could say that I don't care about my class. My life in school revolves around something else."

"Something else?"

"Basketball," he said quickly, and Momoi's heart sped up.

"B-basketball? You're…a member of Teiko's basketball club?"

"Yep."

"Omigosh! That is so cool!" The thrill she felt when Nijimura said that he was in the basketball club surged. She stared at Aomine with the same look of admiration she gave her tour guide.

_I've been talking with a star this whole time! Oh my gosh, I need to tell Ayane and Hana-chan! I should take a picture with him! Could he maybe be one of the 'Generation of Astonishments' one of my basketball-fanatic classmates keep talking about?_

"Are you in the first string, Aomine-kun?"

"I am."

"That must be wonderful! You must be really good. People must adore you."

"They do." He ran a hand through his navy blue hair. "You see, I was born a legend. No one can defeat me."

Momoi's smile wavered, her admiration sinking a little.

"You must be among the school's pride and joy."

"I am. In fact, I am more precious than our teachers and principal combined."

And just like that, her admiration completely vanished.

"You know, you really are too egoistical for your own good."

Aomine gave her a skeptical look before saying "You can't call me egoistical if I really am as good – or even better – as they say."

_Way too egoistical,_ she thought.

"By the way woman, don't think that you can just waltz into my rooftop like you did today. I like this spot a lot. It's my space."

"First of all," Momoi fumed, "I have a name, and it's Satsuki Momoi. Not woman. It's Satsuki Momoi. Get it into that thick head of yours. And I'm free to walk into this place any time I want to. The rooftop isn't your property. It's the school's property. You're lucky, though. I don't plan to come here again. I don't normally go to rooftops."

Aomine raised his brows at Momoi then asked, "Why not?"

She decided to sit beside him. "I was always too busy back then to find time to explore the school. I was always going out with friends and attending co-curricular activities."

"Teiko must've been a shock for you then. No one here seems to be that interested in a big-busted woman like you."

On a good day, Momoi might've given Daiki Aomine a good kick on the shin. However, because it was a terrible day, she found herself dwelling on the things he said before calling her a 'big-busted woman,' and before she knew it, she was curling in on herself.

"It's so strange. The feeling of being unseen, that is. No one seems to notice my presence. It's like…I'm not even there. People just keep looking past me, and no one acknowledges my presence – it's as if I'm invisible. How can I make friends when I'm invisible?"

The things she said seemed to strike Aomine, much to her surprise. His eyes widened, and for a moment, he was opening his mouth, trying to come up with the right words. Then, he turned away from her, seemingly stuck in his own trail of thoughts.

"Aomine-kun?"

"Lacking presence is…not a bad thing at all," he suddenly said. Momoi was surprised by his words. It was so different from the cold, bored tone he's been using since they've met. This was…warm – maybe even sad.

Before she could reply, however, there was a sudden surge of murmurs and screams coming from the school grounds. It was different from when the students were filing into the cafeteria. That one was violent and careless. This one was worried.

Curious, Momoi and Aomine walked to the railings to see what was happening below them, and they were shocked to see a boy standing on the windowsill on the art building's fifth floor. From where they stood, Momoi and Aomine had a pretty good view of the fifth, fourth and third floor. The rest below were barely visible. The students who have accumulated at the bottom looked like dots.

"That idiot," Aomine muttered, staring at the boy who was about to jump. "Is he trying to kill himself?"

"_He obviously is,"_ was what Momoi wanted to say, but she was far too shocked to speak. Her first day in a new school and already, she was witnessing someone trying to commit suicide.

The boy took small steps towards the windowsill's edge, and a chorus of screams echoed from the crowd of students below. At that moment, Momoi's resentment towards Teiko students lessened. They may be absolute brats, but they really are just high school children. No matter how violent they may be, they're not heartless enough to enjoy the sight of someone trying to commit suicide.

"A-Aomine-kun! We need to do something!"

"If we could do something, Satsuki, don't you think we could've done it ages ago?!"

Momoi glanced back at the arts building. Then, on the fourth floor, she caught sight of something red making its way past the crowd and into the window.

Her eyes immediately left that flash of red, however, because at that moment, the spine-tingling screams of students all combined hung in the air as the boy jumped off.

Momoi realized that she was one of those who screamed. But her scream was cut short when the flash of red she saw on the fourth floor grabbed the boy's torso at just the right time and attempted to pull him in. The momentum, however, caused them both to tip over. Momoi was about to scream again, thinking that this time, two people were going to fall, when a huge hand grabbed the red-head's collar and dragged him, along with the boy, into the hallway.

There was a moment of silence that was followed by hectic sounds of students wailing or cheering or sobbing or all of them combined.

"_Akashi."_

"What?" Momoi turned to Aomine, not sure about what he said. Then, just like that, he dashed off. "W-wait! Aomine-kun!"

She quickly followed Aomine down the steps of the building. She followed him as he easily made his way past the crowd of students – who were practically making way for him, treating him like she was some kind of high school royalty. She followed him up the stairs of the arts building, and she stopped dead in her tracks when they finally reached their destination.

_SLAP_

"Akashicchi, there was no need to slap him that hard."

"Ryota, be silent." The red-head glared at the boy who was pitifully standing by the wall, looking like a deer-caught-in-headlights as four well-built boys hovered over him. "He needs to know the consequences of his shameless deed."

Momoi was close to scolding Aomine when he walked to join the four, until she realized that he was one of them. The guy who was holding a bonsai was the only one who glanced at Aomine, acknowledging his presence, because the rest were too busy giving the boy who had jumped off the building moments ago pitiful stares.

"I-it's not my fault!" the boy squeaked, seeming to be one with the wall behind him. The red-head's glare intensified – so did the pitiful stares. "Miracles like you would never understand what it's like to be useless!"

"But we still have our own share of problems. And we're not brainless enough to go jumping off buildings when things don't go our way." The red-head inched closer, causing the boy to become as pale as the wall. "Endo, you will not give up when faced with every little obstacle that comes your way. You will be strong enough to face it. And you will _not_ defy this order."

The boy looked dead beneath the red-head's glare. It didn't seem like he was going to jump off buildings anytime, though, and for that, Momoi was glad. The handsome boy who stood behind the red-head, however, looked like he was more concerned about Endo.

"A-Akashicchi…"

Gold and red eyes met with yellow ones – the former two seeming fiercer than the latter. "What is it?"

"Akashicchi, I think he fainted."

"At least he's still alive," Aomine piped in. The one who acknowledged Aomine's presence shook his head, looking like he thought that everyone else in the group was stupid and strange.

"Atsushi, go and take him to the infirmary. The nurses will know what to do since students here faint every day. And Ryota– "he turned the chap with flaxen locks.

"Yes, Akashicchi?"

"Endo is in your class, am I right? If you're that concerned about him, you may speak with him when he wakes up."

"Yes."

Momoi was wise enough to pinpoint who was in charge, but she found it quite amusing to see that it was the smallest one of the group. He was able to control four larger boys – one of them probably measuring over six feet – with one look. He had the aura of utmost authority, and even Momoi, who barely knew him, wouldn't have the guts to question him.

"I hear that they used to do this outside of school all the time, but it's still a thrill to see it happening for real," one of the girls behind Momoi told her friends. She glanced back, and for a moment, debated with herself whether or not she should be talking with a Teiko student. In the end, she decided to risk it.

"Excuse me, but what _do _they do?"

_Hunt down suicidal kids and pull them into building hallways before they collide with the ground?_

"Stop crimes!" The girl gleamed, looking at the five boys in absolute adoration. "They stop crimes and help people!"

_What are they? The police? Things like that only happen in movies!_

"Satsuki," Aomine said, walking over to her. She flinched for a moment, realizing for the first time how much of a hotshot he really was. But when she looked at him, all traces of idolization diminished because he wore the smug, egoistical expression that she now realized irked her a lot. But in his dark eyes, she saw something else – wistfulness, perhaps?

"Since you're a friendless person–" _"EXCUSE ME?"_ "– you can come over to the gym at lunch time tomorrow if you want."

"Aomine-kun, I don't play basketball."

"That's fine." Aomine glanced at the blonde who was scuttling after the violet-haired giant, who had had the suicidal boy thrown across his shoulders. "Akashi specifically asked you to come, saying that it would do good to have a female in the gym daily to motivate Kise to do well during training."

"But–"

"Akashi is the one with mismatched eyes."

"Okay," Momoi chirped, realizing – quite grudgingly too – that even she was afraid of someone she barely knew just by seeing everyone else practically bow down to him.

Then, at that moment, an outrageous thought occurred to her. _Gym?_

"H-hey," she whispered, suddenly finding her feet very interesting. "You guys don't happen to be the…'Generation of Admiration', right?"

Aomine flinched, blinked, and before she knew it, laughing hysterically. For a while, Momoi was afraid that she'd said something stupid. Then, a few seconds later, she began to worry about Aomine's sanity.

"Aomine, what's going on?" the jade-haired boy asked, carrying the pot of bonsai in his left hand. With all the confusion gone, Momoi found herself wondering, 'Why was he carrying a bonsai around?'

"M-Midorima…" Aomine managed to say in between stifles of laughter. Momoi glared, now knowing fully well that she was the subject of his mirth. "S-Satsuki was wondering if we were the 'Generation of _Admiration'_. _Pfft. HAHAHAHAHA!"_

"Well I'm sorry I assumed that you were that good! No need to laugh about the impossibility of that thought, you stupid ganguro!"

The slightest hint of a smile ghosted over Midorima's features before he pushed his spectacles up using bandaged fingers. "If you mean to say 'the Generation of _Miracles_,' then yes. That would be us."

"_What?" _she gasped, her voice cracking. Behind her, Aomine continued to cackle, and a few feet away, heterochromatic eyes were boring into them. _"Y-you are?"_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Thank you, ass-sassin, Guest, Fatima and all of those who decided to favorite or follow this story! You guys are amazing! Anyway, here's an update! Oh, and if you want to read about the details about the bomb incident mentioned here, I made a separate fic about it. It's called 'The Ticking Time Bomb' _(shameless self-advertisement!)_

* * *

After a few minutes in the gym, Momoi concluded that Aomine, Murasakibara, Midorima, Kise, and Akashi, were unadulterated monsters. Without even trying, they have defeated Seiho with a sixty-eight -point-difference. Their rivals appeared to think the same thing as they stared at them in fear and hopelessness.

No words could describe the relief that Momoi felt when she remembered how her previous school's basketball team never made it to the finals of the Inter High and Winter Cup, despite her superb skills at managing them. If they did, the Generation of Miracles would've trampled them beyond repair, and their school's basketball club would be no more.

Kazuo-kun, Hana's boyfriend, and the team's captain, will be very gloomy. She'd have to sit around all day, letting Hana cry about how much it pains her to see him like that. And then she'd feel bad, knowing that she could barely relate because romance was not something she had experience with. She'd end up saying cliché things like "it'll be okay" and "there is a reason for everything." Hana will probably cry even harder while saying, "it won't be okay! Kazu-koi's love for basketball is _gone._ It was his life! And all because of that point-difference, they took it away from him!"

And then the entire school will hate Teiko, and Momoi will be shunned for transferring to the base of their sworn enemies. Then she'll be detested if they were to find out that now she's all chummy with the Generation of Miracles, of all people!

"Momocchi, can we have some water, please?"

She snapped out of her daze and looked up, only to come face-to-face with Kise. He had this really dazzling, earnest smile that made Momoi quite flustered.

No wonder he has so many fans.

"Oh, sure!" She handed him, along with each of the members a jug of water, earning three thank yous. Not five, but three, because Akashi and Aomine were obviously far too high and mighty to be offering a mere peasant such as herself a word of thanks.

_Hmph._ Momoi mentally noted to kick Aomine's butt for it later, and let Akashi go. The latter had the aura of an Emperor that must absolutely _not _be defied. But even if they were strange and sometimes – _err…always_ – unbearable in their own ways, she learned to love each and every one of them. I mean, sure, they were childish, annoying, hopeless, intimidating, intolerable and anything but the very definition of a good sportsman, but if you look really…_really _deep into their souls, they were nothing but a bundle of sweethearts. She saw this in Murasakibara's child-like fondness for sweets, Kise's melodrama and concern for others, Midorima's simple, almost childish belief in fortune telling, Aomine's hidden soft spot towards his teammates and Akashi's…Akashi's…

Momoi decided that Akashi didn't have anything about him that was sweetheart-worthy.

This is her second day in Teiko, and her first time in their gym. However, she's been hanging out with the Generation of Miracles whenever they had breaks, thanks to Aomine. Within those few given hours, they instantly clicked. She began to notice the little things about them – both on and off court. She also began to be of great help when dealing with Seiho, which proved to be a bit of a challenge during the practice match that day.

After a little bit of research before coming to the gym, she managed to figure out the secret of their strength – their martial arts-inspired way of moving. She was able to provide a few useful tips, like how Aomine should be careful when moving around to avoid fouls, and how Kise should lay low when copying their movements, seeing that this could be a strain. Heck, she even listed down all of the opposing players' horoscopes for Midorima to see who one he wasn't compatible with. Although Momoi knew that they would fare very well without her, she was still glad to see that her team appreciated what she did, and that the small research she did about opponents managed to pay off. She helped them avoid fouls, understand the other team's mentality, predict the flow of the game and all other useful things.

Although four of the Miracles saw this as an act of kindness and several points of respect for Momoi, Akashi was wise enough to put her skills to good use. After the game, he approached the girl.

"Satsuki,"

"Yes, Akashi-kun?" She smiled pleasantly up at the captain, though her posture was visibly rigid.

"How would you like to be the manager of the team?"

"Haha," she chuckled, before realizing that all of the members, especially Akashi, were staring at her expectantly. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Yes, I am very serious, Satsuki," the captain told her, his voice strong. Her mouth fell open at the very thought of being a part of _the _basketball club of Teiko. _Her! _Although she lacked knowledge about basketball, and she only experienced what being a manager was like for about a month, they're asking her? _Teiko's_ captain is asking _her?_

"Yay. Sa-chin, promise to bring me sweets everyday, okay?" Murasakibara said in monotone, but you could see from the small spark his eyes gave away that he was eager. Kise was sparkling, looking up at Momoi – a huge smile plastered across his face.

"Momocchi! C'mon! It'll be fun!"

"He's right, Satsuki." Aomine glanced up at her, a bottle of water in one hand. She was glad – flattered even– to see a hint of excitement in some of them. "Okay, then!" she grinned, her face giving away the contentment she felt. She had a club now. _Finally._

Akashi had a look of satisfaction on his face before he grabbed his bag and slung it across his shoulders. "I'll be going ahead," he stated. "There's something I need to attend to. Satsuki, research about West Kamata High School. They will be our next opponents."

"Yes, Akashi-kun!"

…X…

When they stepped into the school grounds, Momoi was greeted by the same amount of chaos she saw at lunch that day and yesterday. Moriyama – the student council president – was red in the face as she screamed at schoolmates, telling them to _SHUT THE BLEEPIN' HELL UP!_ Several students were being carried to the school infirmary via stretcher. Curses were being hurled from across the corners. Teachers were – as always – drowning amidst the blue and white sea of distressed Japanese students. Momoi almost felt bad for them. Almost. Until she saw the accursed homeroom teacher who abandoned her on the first day of school, letting her suffer the wrath of classmates who were mad at her for daring to hang out with Teiko's legendary team.

Good. Let him suffer.

"It really is as lively as always, huh, Midorimacchi?"

"Hmph," the shooter said, tightening his scarf. "I'd rather call it annoying."

"Haaah? Well, I don't care. I just want to get past all of them so that I could get my ice cream," Murasakibara whimpered. Kise turned to the giant. "Ice cream? In this cold weather?" Murasakibara either didn't hear Kise or decided to ignore him. He took a step forward, saying, "If they don't get out of the way, I'll crush them."

Momoi's eyes widened, and she was about to stop Murasakibara when she saw how students automatically made way before he could even step forward.

"No need to worry, Momocchi," Kise told her, grinning. "The students here worship every fiber of our soul. And even if Murasakibaracchi says that he'll crush you, he never really means it."

"Really?" Momoi hardly believed that. The giant just seemed so intimidating, even if he did act like such a kid at times. But then, after reminiscing on the power-forward's child-like personality, doubt faded.

As they passed by Family Mart, Midorima noticed how Aomine's eyes remained glued to the store's sign. "Hey, why don't we all get ice cream? Kise, your treat!" he said, smiling at the blonde. Kise's mouth fell – his yellow eyes releasing fake tears. "Wah, Aominecchi, that is so mean…"

"But you could say that you owe it to us for ditching training right before the Winter Cup finals."

"I had to model for a magazine! It was urgent!" cried the blonde.

"Use the money you earned to buy us ice cream then!"

"I want strawberry, Ki-chan!" Momoi said, hand shooting up. Murasakibara did the same. "Same here, Ki-chin!"

"Chocolate!" Aomine bellowed.

"Green tea." Midorima's statement was then followed by, "It's my lucky flavor for the day."

"You guys…" Kise cried. He reached out for his wallet – his fingers tracing the brown leather, before stopping just before the zipper. He then turned to his friends, his smile frozen.

"Wait, if I get all of you one, I won't have any for myself!"

"Tough luck," Midorima said, an encyclopedia tucked beneath his arms.

Suddenly, before they could all take a step into the store, they heard a loud, deafening scream. Alarmed, they all turned around only to catch the sight of something black swoosh past them. A woman wearing a red coat was desperately trying to follow it – her snow boots thumping, and her hair disheveled.

"HELP!"

It merely took Momoi and the Miracles a second to get a gist of what was happening. The man had stolen the woman's red purse, and he was getting away with it. Momoi saw that Aomine was sweating profusely, more likely from uneasiness than inexistent heat. It's winter season, must I remind you?

"This is…"

"A repetition of what happened before…" Kise finished.

Midorima was first to snap out of his shock. He tightened his grip on the encyclopedia he's been carrying around and – with utmost precision – hurled it towards the man. It smacked him right on the head, and next thing they knew, he was on his knees. "My lucky items never fail me," he whispered. Murasakibara was next to react. He made his way to the thief, who shrank beneath the giant's steady gaze.

"Thank you!" the woman cried, making her way to them. Aomine stepped forward, grabbed the bag from the thief's arm, and handed it back to her.

A few minutes later, the police arrived. Momoi was still trying to get over her shock when one officer approached Aomine, saying, "It's been awhile since you kids helped around here!"

"Well we've been busy."

"And I'm assuming that you'd all rather stay anonymous, as always?"

"Yes." Aomine glanced at Momoi, bored. He was expecting her to start hurling questions, and she planned on doing just that. But maybe she'll do that later.

Later came. They were all eating their ice cream jut outside Family Mart, the four Miracles acting like nothing happened. Momoi, however, knew that she needed to clarify what was going on. Are these the sort of things that girl in Teiko meant when she said that they stopped crimes? And were police really allowing kids to handle these kinds of situations? The officer earlier on didn't look too bothered by the Miracles. If anything, she'd say that he was pleasantly surprised – as if they were old friends that he was seeing again.

"Okay, talk!" she said, waving her plastic spoon around in a scolding manner. The four Miracles stared at her, their spoons of ice cream still in their mouths

"What do you want us to say, Sacchin?" Murasakibara asked, plopping the white plastic from his lips.

"How long have you been doing this?"

"Middle school," Aomine replied.

"W-what? Why? Who knows? Why is this not all over the news? I mean, if you're always doing these, wouldn't it eventually be brought on air, especially since you're Teiko's pride and joy?"

"Aww, Momocchi, there's really no need to flatter us so!" Kise wailed.

"Kise, you're annoying," Midorima spat.

Momoi turned to Aomine then lowered her gaze, daring him to swerve away from the topic like the other two. He gulped, before looking down – his appetite suddenly gone.

"It's a pretty complicated story."

"And I can take it."

"Well, um…you see, Satsuki, being in Teiko since we were young, our whole lives pretty much revolved around survival. We know the different types of criminal tactics. Crime happens in school all the time, you see, so we've gotten pretty sharp. So when we step outside the school and come across crimes like what you saw today, we kind of…do what we can to help. At first, we were stopping petty pick pocketing by calling for a police, but as times grew harder, and as we grew older, we found ourselves slowly getting involved."

"But surely," Momoi stated, "It's impossible to come across crimes everyday! What happened today was something I could only witness once in my lifetime."

Kise chuckled nervously, and they all turned to him, expectantly. "Momocchi, the thing is, crimes happen all the time. Wherever you go. We just choose to ignore them."

"For example," Midorima said, pushing his glasses up. He glanced around, his bespectacled eyes falling on a couple standing by the bare tree. "That man is committing adultery."

"What?" Momoi gasped, taken aback by Midorima's nerve to accuse.

"You could see it by the callus in his ring finger, where a wedding ring should be. The woman's finger doesn't have any, so you may safely assume that she's not married. Also," Midorima paused as he watched the man's face contort into anxiety when his phone rang. He walked away from the woman, asking her to excuse him, and went close to Momoi and the Miracles where he was sure that his girlfriend couldn't hear him.

"He's been glancing anxiously at his phone for some time now," he whispered. Momoi narrowed her eyes, not buying any of this.

"It could be work."

"Would a man talk to his workmates that way?" Kise smirked, discreetly staring at the man who was now making smooching faces at his phone. His voice was muffled, but she could vaguely hear him say things like "honeybun" and "babe." Meanwhile, his girlfriend was still standing by the tree, looking visibly distressed.

That was when Momoi's face paled, the blood draining from her face.

"Of course, our observations aren't always correct. There are many times that we deduced wrong, so we'd rather not get involved."

"But you used to stop crimes, right? Your deductions, although they aren't always correct, managed to save people, right? Why'd you stop?"

"Because, Sacchin, it isn't our business. We could be wrong."

"What about Akashi-kun? Has he ever deduced wrong?"

"He doesn't deduce. He was never interested in what we did because he always had private investigators doing the dirty work for him. The only time he joined us was to keep us alive during this bomb incident," Aomine drawled. "We called him over when we found a bomb that was supposed to blow an entire mall up. We didn't know how to stop it. So he came over and did this…thing with the wires."

"We still haven't thanked Akashicchi for saving our butts back then, now that I think about it," Kise murmured.

Murasakibara's eyes then lit up. "I'll call him over. You should get him ice cream as a late thanks, Ki-chin."

"Why me again?"

_"Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait,"_ Momoi wailed, pinching the bridge of her nose, her eyes shut tight as she tried to analyze what the four idiots just said. Surely, she must've heard it wrong, right? There's no way they could've done that. There's no way anyone's genius enough to locate a bomb, yet stupid enough to deactivate it without prior knowledge.

_Yes, but Satsuki dearie, these four boys in front of you are seriously mental, _the back of her mind bantered. That's when it all came crashing down."YOU _WHAT?"_

"It was a long time ago, Satsuki, and it wasn't that bad," Aomine said, waving his hands, dismissing her shock.

"And we had about an hour to turn it off," Midorima shrugged.

_"Still!" _Momoi hissed, wide eyes staring at the four boys in astonishment. "You could've _died! _Everyone in the mall could've!_"_

Aomine slumped. "Well it was going to explode, anyway. And we're all still alive. Besides, we already got enough scolding from Akashi that day. And we promised him never again to hunt down bombs…"

"Or trace down kidnappers…" Kise said quietly.

"Or stop robberies…" Midorima added.

"And besides, Momocchi, even if we wanted to, we couldn't do those anymore." For once, Murasakibara looked genuinely sad. He even put his ice cream aside while a strange look pooled over his eyes. "There's no one in the group with a mind capable of analyzing riddles and observing clues anymore…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Omigod, 12 reviews? Are you kidding? I deserve, like, a hundred per word!

_Just kidding_. I'm so giddy right now. 12 is a lot for me. THANK YOU, GUYS, SO MUCH! Reviewers, followers, favorit…ers…_all_ of you! Yes, including the vast majority who probably skimmed through this entire story just to get it over with! I know that Momoi isn't the most popular character, so I'm surprised that the amount people who commented actually exceed the number of chapters. I will give you all super sappy virtual hugs! Here: \(^0^)/

* * *

Aomine was leaning towards Momoi's desk, his soft hisses barely above a whisper. "Satsuki. Satsuki, oi!"

"Momoi-san?" The venomous tone of the voice was enough to jerk Momoi awake. She sprang up from her desk – her hair scruffy and tangled despite the bands, and her mouth trailing with a good amount of drool. She looked up, only to come face-to-face with Hayashi-sensei's sharp, grey eyes. The light, shining towards her, was not kind to her worn-out face; it showed the wrinkles that years of stress and harshness working with Teiko students have done to her.

If Momoi was not under her mercy, she would've pitied her.

"Momoi-san, do you know what happens to students who sleep during my class?" she asked, tracing a pointy old finger across Momoi's desk.

The young girl gulped. "I…apologize?"

"_Wrong," _she hissed, finger stopping on the small crack on her table. Momoi turned to Aomine for help, but the wretched traitor was looking away, staring rather poetically mesmerized by the blank, white walls. Her classmates were laughing, just as she expected, so there really was no point in trying to ask any of them for help.

But help did come. The door of the classroom slid opened, and one Seijuro Akashi stood there, eyes scanning the classroom. It stopped at Momoi and Aomine – the latter still staring at the wall, trying to avoid the girl's fiery.

"Excuse me, Hayashi-sensei, but I would like to speak with Aomine and Momoi," he said, staring intently at the teacher. Momoi cringed when she saw that girls were actually attracted to Akashi; some of them stared up at him from beneath their lashes, their faces red. She also noticed Aomine's back suddenly straighten at the sound of the captain's voice.

"Ah, yes, of course, Akashi-kun." Even Hayashi-sensei didn't have the audacity to question the boy. Momoi worried for a while, wondering what could be urgent enough for Akashi to call them out like that. However, as she passed Hayashi's seething glare, she decided that wherever he'll be taking her should be better than here.

She spoke too soon.

"What's going on, Akashi?" Aomine asked when they were outside the classroom. Akashi replied, his back still turned to them. "Someone has messed up the gym."

"What?" Momoi and Aomine gasped.

"How bad?" Momoi asked, deciding that hitting Aomine could wait.

"Bad."

The two paused for a while, both of them too stunned. Then Aomine said, obviously mad, "Who would even want to do this?"

"Someone who has a bitter grudge against the Miracles, I suppose," Akashi stated. "You'll see what I mean."

Momoi was shocked to see – from her vantage point – that the composed captain actually looked lost for a change. She couldn't be too sure however, because it only lasted for a second before Akashi's face was cold again.

The moment they entered the gym, she froze. It was in a very bad shape. The basketball hoops were beaten down – the net barely functional, and the wooden floor was torn with cracks and holes if not littered with scraps from trash bins. The windows of the gymnasium were smashed beyond repair, and the bleachers were inked with paint.

Across the walls, someone had written: I'LL MAKE HIM DISAPPEAR FOR GOOD! It wasn't something Momoi could understand at all. She glanced at Aomine, hoping for an explanation, but the boy was trembling, his dark eyes wide. "T-this is…" he breathed, "but it's been more than a year…"

She stared at him, concerned, deciding that it wasn't the best time to ask him about what was written across the wall. Then, she heard a cry coming from behind. Whirling around, Momoi caught sight of Kise. His face was pale and genuinely shocked.. _"A-akashicchi, what is this?"_

Midorima stood beside Kise, not saying anything, but his shoulders were hunched, and his glasses flashed. Murasakibara was kicking bleachers in his fury. The school staff and the police were trying to stop the giant but to no avail. Momoi then wanted to close in on herself. She wanted to leave the gym. She obviously wasn't meant to be here, but why has Akashi called her over? She didn't know anything about what was written in the wall. She didn't have the right to pry into a problem that was purely the Generation of Miracles'

She was aware that something big was happening, but she didn't know what.

"Boys, do you know anything about that message on the wall?" a lavishly dressed old man asked from beside the fallen hoop, his gaze directed on the Miracles' leader. Akashi's eyes narrowed, yet he nodded. "Yes. As disturbing as it is, it has narrowed down my preliminary list of suspects." One of the police officers then approached the man to ask some questions. He nodded at the redhead, assuring him that he will return, before following them. It was then that Midorima made his way to Akashi.

"Akashi, do you think that the culprit knows?" Despite looking calm, even Midorima sounded on edge.

"He might," the captain replied, mismatched eyes cold.

"W-what can we do?" Kise asked, his voice wavering then cracking. "We have to find Kurokocchi! We need to find who did this so he could lead us to Kurokocchi!"

"Don't fret, Ryota," Akashi said, clenching his fists, his hand slightly trembling, "I'll instruct my investigators to look through all this. We must've missed something last time. If he is being brought up now, something must've happened, and I will see to it that I use this chance wisely."

"W-wait…God…no, wait," Aomine whispered, "I…need some air" He stormed off, leaving the vandalized door open in his wake. When he was out of earshot, Akashi turned to Momoi then lowered his gaze. "Follow him, Satsuki."

She flinched. She has only known Aomine for a few days. She wouldn't know what to do if he started acting brash. Heck, she doesn't even know why he – or everyone else for the matter – was so upset. But…even so. He was her friend – no matter how long they've known each other – and it wouldn't be right to just leave him like that. After weighing the pros and cons of following Akashi's order, Momoi decided that she knew why Akashi had told her to come.

The captain might've known that the Miracles wouldn't be able to hold themselves together after seeing whatever that was, and she was standing as their pillar.

"Satsuki."

"Yes, Akashi-kun."

…X…

Aomine looked lost – something Momoi hadn't thought possible. It was almost heart wrecking to see the proud ace's barrier break. And what made it even worse was that she didn't know what to do besides stand by him.

"Dai-chan," she eventually whispered, the tip of her Mary Janes kicking up dust. "Y'know...I'm willing to listen."

To her dismay, her statement was followed by pregnant silence. She looked down, eyes fixated on the swirling dust her shoes have kicked up. Then, she heard the boy sigh.

"It's been about two years since anyone brought him up."

She nodded, urging him to go on, even if she knew that he wasn't looking at her. Then, he heaved another sigh. "Satsuki, have you ever heard about the Phantom Sixth Man?"

Momoi blinked, taken aback by the sudden change of topic. Then she began to think. Yes, she's heard about it before. Kazuo liked to talk about basketball so she couldn't help knowing. The Phantom Sixth man, according to the rumors, was a paranormal force that stood in the shadows of the Generation of Miracles. According to believers, it is the force that gave them their inhumane capacity, and thus, led them to absolute victory. However, Momoi didn't care about things like that. In her opinion, those were mere rumors. And as she got to know the Generation of Miracles herself, the more convinced she was of its inexistence.

Nothing strange happens during their games. They were just _that _good.

"I heard about it," she replied. "Your team's strength has even led people to believe that some silly ghost was behind your vigor."

"Well, rumors don't come from nowhere. He's real – our Sixth Man that is. But he's far from what everyone thinks. He's not a phantom. He's human – and an obnoxious, tiny one at that" Aomine's lips tugged upwards as memories began to flood his mind. "He was not like any of us."

Momoi held her breath from the shock of finding out about the Phantom's existence. For a moment, she was at loss of words, until she saw how lost the ace looked. She managed to say "what happened to him?" and immediately regretted it.

Aomine's face contorted into something achingly similar to apprehension as fond memories immediately crashed. "He…disappeared," he whispered. "We last saw him after our graduation dinner. He's been gone for two years. We asked his parents, and they claim that he never came home. Even Akashi's guards couldn't find any records. We don't know what happened to him. Heck, we don't even know if he's still…" Aomine's eyes slit, his jaws clenching.

"Dai-chan…" she whispered. "I'm sorry I asked."

"Don't be." Aomine stood up, eyes flaming. He then headed back to the gym with Momoi following suit – just like the good friend that she is. After the shocking events, her mind finally began to start working again. In their silence, she instinctively began to analyze the situation and came up with several conclusions.

Whoever threatened to hurt their shadow was obviously someone who knew that the Phantom existed. He or she also knew about how much he meant to them – _that bastard_. It couldn't just be any ordinary citizen. It must be someone who was acquainted with the Miracles in one-way or another.

She shook her head, internally cursing at the being who dared to upset her new friends. The phantom was apparently a taboo for them; for him to be brought up in such a blunt, violent manner must've shocked the Miracles.

…X…

"I'm glad you've decided to join us, Daiki," Akashi stated, turning to the doorway where a reluctant Aomine stood. He obviously didn't enjoy seeing the gym so muddled, and he most definitely did not want to enter it. Momoi had to shove him in.

Kise moved a bit to give space to Aomine so he could sit in one of the few undamaged bleachers before giving Momoi a scrutinizing look. "Momocchi?"

"Hm?" she slowly turned to the model, eyes half-lidded. Damn, why is sleep suddenly catching up with her now?

"You look so tired."

"Well I'll bet. She had to deal with Mine-chin out there."

"_We_ had to deal with _you!_" Midorima snapped, scowling at the oblivious giant.

"It's nothing," Momoi finally said, waving the topic off. She was glad that they all calmed down. She wouldn't want to start a storm while they were all working very hard to keep rage from spilling. "I was just up all night."

Kise tilted his head. "Doing what?"

She opened her mouth to reply but stopped when Akashi abruptly stood up to greet the lavishly dressed man, who was standing above the six students. "If you don't mind," the redhead started, turning to his team, "I will be telling the principal about that message."

"Ah no," the principal said. "You don't need to speak to me alone, Akashi. I'd rather hear the story from the entire team."

He paused for a while, watching his teammates' fists clench. It wasn't a fond memory, and it would pain them to speak about it, but it was a conversation that cannot be avoided. "Very well, then."

And so, Momoi heard everything. She didn't mean to, and if she had the chance to speak up, she would've asked to leave. The principal was so insistent on hearing from everyone, however, and not for one second did he realize that Momoi was a mere transferee that knew far less than he. Still, it's not like she learned anything new. What Aomine told her was basically what they told the principal – minus all that Phantom drama.

After that, they were all asked to leave everything to the school and the police, and return to class. Akashi never said it, but everyone knew that he was also going to look through this. Upon returning to her seat, Momoi asked herself how she could maintain the ordinary pace of her day.

That never happened, though, because eventually, word of the gym came out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

An old couple stood, aghast, as they watched a young girl hunch over her tattered doll. Before her towered a chap – no older than twenty – with a pair of wide, sadistic eyes.

"W-why would you hurt Candy?" the child whispered, gathering the stuffings of her small toy. Black hair framed the bully's features as he made a disgusted face before stepping on "Candy's" head.

"Hey there, boy! Wat'cha think you're doing?!" the old man cried, stepping away from his wife to raise his cane at the aggressor. The latter didn't cringe and merely walked over the girl's doll – stopping at the other side of the park to stick his tongue out at the three.

"I'm exposing her to reality, old fart! So that she doesn't grow up to be an IDIOT!"

In this little exchange, none of them noticed a boy sitting on a bench just behind the couple – watching the scene with narrowed, perceptive eyes.

…X…

"I'm home!" Momoi cried, removing her shoes just after their doorstep. Her voice, however, was muffled by the blare of their television. She scurried towards the living room where her mother sat – face disturbed – while she stared at the screen.

"I'm home," she repeated, plopping next to her mother. The woman noticed her this time, and sent her an acknowledging smile.

"How was your day?"

"Same as always," she lied.

"Isn't it such a wonderful school, just like I told you?"

Momoi flinched. "Um…yeah?" She shifted her gaze towards the television, not wanting to mention the true horrors of Teiko. Her mother had been watching the news, and for the longest time, the highlight was this strange vigilante in Tokyo, who didn't really face the criminals head-on, but sent the police memos of proof, DNA and pictures which eventually led to their capture.

"No matter how fair his motives are, one day, this guy is going to get hurt," her mom whispered – face furrowing even more. "I mean, you don't get involved with criminals just to find proof, and expect to come out fine every single time!"

"I think that we need more people like him, though," Momoi replied. Then, she thought. "Or…_her_. No one really knows if it's a boy or a girl."

The vigilante sort of reminded her of the Miracles, who were really the last group of people she wanted to think about at that moment. They were so strange that day – their faces a mixture of nostalgia, misery and maybe even hope.

Her mom frowned in disagreement, and was about to state her opposition when her daughter's phone suddenly rang. Momoi glanced at her phone screen and immediately gleamed. "I'm going to have to take this," she cried, shuffling off the living room.

When she was out of earshot, she beamed. "Ayane-chan!"

Her friend had cried and screamed into her receiver, and Momoi had to wait some seconds before she could finally hear again. "Please visit us this Saturday, Satsuki-chan! The high school some blocks away has this guy that I totally dig," she insisted. "I want you to see him!"

That weekend?

She was planning to spend that weekend with the five basketball-idiots. They were going to be looking through documents regarding their shadow – a man whose name had yet to be mentioned to her. She wanted to help them break down information – a piece of cake, thanks to her analytical brain and steely resolve. If she wasn't there, she could probably miss out on the minute, possibly most important of details. However, when was she going to see her Ayane-chan and Hana-chan again? She could always ask the guys to set aside the information so she could look through it that Sunday. Besides, she had the rest of the entire week to spend with them.

Akashi was strong enough to keep them in control, right? She had nothing to worry about so long as he was around. They couldn't mess up documents. Akashi wouldn't let them do it. She could rely on him.

With the gathered data regarding the pros and cons of leaving for Tokyo, she came to her conclusion. This Saturday, she was going to see Ayane's flavor of the month.

"Okay!"

…X…

It was by Friday that Momoi finally managed to tell the boys about her plans. In preparation for spilling the news, however, she researched about Teiko's current and previous regulars, confirmed their alibi, and came up with the preliminary list of suspects. She showed this to Akashi, explained it to him, before saying why she did so much research ahead of time.

"Aww, Momocchi! Why won't you go with us?"

"I already told you, Ki-chan!" Momoi handed him his water jug. "I need to visit Tokyo. I can meet up with you guys on Sunday. Just put aside some of the data you've gathered."

"But–"

"Sunday." They all turned to their captain. "I will be expecting you on Sunday, Satsuki. And before then, I expect everyone to get the fingerprints and DNA of these suspects. Be discreet about it." Akashi then stared at the list Momoi has come up with; maybe it was just her, but the temperature seemed to drop as he stared at a specific name long and hard. "I'll be in charge of _him_."

"Haizaki, you mean?" Aomine said, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes."

"He's one violent bastard, that guy," Kise's golden eyes narrowed, his lips curling menacingly; he looked very angry for once, although the team didn't look like this surprised them. It did scare Momoi, though. However, she was left in the muddle of her own pool of thoughts when the second gym suddenly became silent. That is, until the captain finally spoke.

"Good job, Satsuki,"

Startled by the sudden sound, she straightened her back then looked up at the boy. Fumbling with the cooler, she said "thank you, Akashi-kun," before turning to each of the boys. "We're going to find out whoever did this, and know where your phantom is."

A smile that was barely there ghosted Kise and Aomine's features. Murasakibara was nonchalantly nibbling on a pocky. Midorima sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Try not to get our hopes up, Momoi," he said, quietly. However, as much as it displeased him, he was obviously hopeful. It showed in the way that he played; it showed in the way that each of them played.

The rest of the day was spent on avoiding the topic of the Phantom man and this so called Haizaki. It passed Momoi like a blur. Before she knew it, it was the next day, and she was on a bullet train headed to Tokyo. Her mother had sent her multiple texts, reminding her to be careful, and all but crying over her daughter's departure. Momoi had faked a smile the whole time, repeatedly telling her overprotective mother that she'll be gone just for a day. She slept most of the time in the train so she barely saw the scenery zoom by. When she got to the Tokyo station, however, she was more alive than ever.

"Satsuki-chan!" Ayane greeted her from the platform's edge. Hana, as always, stood with her, waving. Momoi smiled up at her two friends and waved two hands, until she decided that she couldn't take it anymore. Slinging her purse tightly across her shoulder, she bounded towards them and attacked them with a big hug.

After having their lunch together, Momoi finally decided to ask Ayane about the guy she wanted her to see. "Does he know you exist? You didn't freak him out, did you?"

Giggling to herself, Hana shook her head. "I really don't know. Ayane _is_ an avid stalker. Maybe he did see you creeping in the shadows. Maybe he's scared of you, Ayane-chan!"

Ayane harrumphed and turned to Momoi. "There's no way he'd know. The guy is utterly dense. Anyway, we're all going to meet him today."

Hana almost choked on her food.

"Wait, we're meeting him?" Momoi said. "I thought that he barely knew you existed!"

"Ayane-chan, we can't just waltz into the gym unannounced to introduce ourselves! Remember the last time we did that?"

"You and Kazuki met."

Hana flushed. "No! Before that! You scared the life out of your crush by shadowing him all over the place. If it wasn't for Kazu-koi warning us early about how much you're affecting him, we might've been banned from the gym!"

Suddenly, a wide, knowing grin trickled into Ayane's face. "Ah," she said, "but this time, I planned it well. I spoke with their coach and asked for her permission to let us watch them train, saying that we were writing reports for a school project about the different basketball teams in Tokyo."

"Basketball _again_?" Momoi groaned, remembering her duty to the Miracles.

"Well at least I'm working on finding true love. What about you, Satsuki-chan? Has any Teiko boy caught your eye?"

Momoi shrugged. "None," she stated, before taking a last gulp of her tea.

Later that day, Ayane was leading the both of them towards the gates of a school called Seirin. The simplicity of it filled Momoi with a sense of nostalgia. Unlike the grand Teiko – covered in bricks, flowers and lofty designs, Seirin beamed with plain walls and average hallways. She led them towards the gym – half the size of Teiko's first gym – where a young girl ("with an utterly flat chest," Momoi noted) greeted them.

"You must be the ones requesting to sit in," she beamed. "Sit for as long as you like. My name is Riko Aida, by the way."

"Thank you, Riko-san!" Hana bowed, before glancing around, trying to guess who Ayane liked.

Riko walked over to the boys while the three girls sat on one of the benches.

"Their coach is a girl," Momoi mused, "And a student here too. Impressive."

Ayane either ignored or did not hear her. She was looking frantically around – a lost look filling her face. "He's not in here," she whispered. "The guy I like isn't in here."

Hana raised a brow. "Why did you assume that he'd be here, then?"

"Because he's always carrying a basketball, duh! He's obviously in the basketball va–"

Before she could continue, the gym door suddenly slammed open. Standing there was a boy who stood a few feet taller than most of the players. He had a different feel, and Momoi didn't know if it was because of his flaming red hair or piercing eyes. However, judging by the reaction of the players, he clearly wasn't a regular.

"_That's him!" _Ayane cried giddily. "He's so cute, right? Right?"

"I wouldn't really call him cute," Hana mused.

"Manly? Toned? Yes. Cute, no." Momoi finished.

"I'd like to try out for the team," he stated. Riko, who was looking him up and down, stared up at him – face astonished. "O-oh!" se gasped. "The tryouts happened weeks ago, and you're late. We might consider you, though, since we didn't get much new members during the tryout period. Why come in now, though?"

"At first, I wasn't sure if I should go. " He sheepishly placed a hand on his nape. "Before I knew it, tryouts were done. My friend just convinced me to go anyway."

"Clearly, you have experience," Riko was once again scanning him up and down. Momoi might've thought she was checking him out if it wasn't for the serious, completely unfazed façade she wore. Was she analyzing him?

"Okay!" She blew her whistle, catching the attention of all players. "We'll play a game against each other to gage your skill. Five against five."

"But we'll be short a member!" A player with feline features said. "Kiyoshi isn't here today."

Riko frowned, and was about to talk when Kagami spoke. "I brought a friend here. Maybe he could take his place."

_Friend? _The four girls and every player in the court looked around. Didn't he come here alone?

"I'm here," a light-haired boy who was sitting right beside Momoi said, popping out of freaking _nowhere_.

"_KYAAAAAAAAA!"_

Momoi, Ayane and Hana's screams echoed several octaves above than the guys'. Scrambling to her feet, heart pounding wildly in her chest, Momoi stared at the boy. Clearly, he was not fit to play the game. However, it might be better than having no fifth player for the other team, right?

"W-where did you come from?" she stammered.

Blinking in confusion, he replied, "What are you talking about? I was sitting here the whole time."

* * *

Hi! So i finally made him appear. Woohoo! Okay, anyway, I haven't updated in a while because real life was serving as a distraction. But here it is! I really hope that it was okay.


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